Having a literal ‘cry baby’ may be favourable when it comes to sleep, Flinders University research has found. The study, published in the American journal Pediatrics, showed that infants who wailed themselves to sleep generally slept better than those who ...

Australia’s Chief Scientist Alan Finkel has jokingly cited his having “being born with the science gene” as a key factor behind his election as a fellow by the Australian Academy of Science. AAS’s election citation – released with a list ...

Brain scientists have isolated 74 genes linked to high educational attainment, though they say getting top marks may simply be a by-product. The research, published in the journal Nature, found these genes have a role in the brain’s development of neurons ...

The term ‘mumprenuer’ is trending, but research suggests it may have a dark side. Dr Meraiah Foley from the University of Sydney Business School surveyed 60 mothers who run their own businesses and found that, for the majority, being self-employed wasn’t a willing choice. ...

University archaeologists have found evidence of one of the world’s earliest innovations. The world’s oldest axe fragment – discovered in Western Australia’s remote Kimberly region – is about the size of a thumbnail and dates back to 45,000 to 49,000 ...

New research shows children who are better at recognising patterns are better at learning grammar, challenging traditional theories of language learning. The researchers tested just under 70 children, aged between 6 and 8, on grammar and pattern recognition. The team ...

It’s an exciting time to be in quantum computing. On the very same day that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described University of New South Wales research in the field as “the best work in the world”, the team behind it all ...

One of the university leaders behind the Australian public campaign for an International Day of the Tropics said the movement has gained international political momentum. After returning from a recent United Nations summit in New York, James Cook University vice-chancellor professor ...

One-third of children nationwide don’t attend enough preschool, leaving one-fifth of children, many from the poorest backgrounds, developmentally unprepared for school – a new report has found. Quality Early Education for All: Fostering creative, entrepreneurial, resilient and capable learners by ...

If you had access to a nation-spanning network of cameras and drones, how would you use it? For one Australian National University scientist, the answer is to spy on trees. Dr Tim Brown, research fellow at ANU, has helped launch ...